The Bolte School News

So if you haven't noticed it's that time of year when everyone is busy buying their favorite beverage, and stocking up on snacks. While we may be debating Broncos or Seahawks, it seems we are also talking about the commercials. Holding with tradition the cost of a Super Bowl spot is up over last year with a :30 spot going for a whopping $4 million. Which brings me to the question that I often am asked, Are Super Bowl Spots Really Worth It? Having worked on Madison Avenue I evaluated and negotiated Super Bowl TV packages on behalf of my clients so I would argue that Yes, the Super Bowl is worth it and here is why.

Advertising Buzz
While the popularity of the Super Bowl is not new, the hype for TV spots is. Today we have newspapers and TV morning shows talking as much about the commercials as the game. Think about it, back in the 80's when Apple ran their iconic ad, a Super Bowl spot cost you about $500,000. Today that would only get you three seconds of airtime. So advertisers realize that if they are going to spend the wad on a Super Bowl spot, it needs to be Epic!

No More Appointment Viewing
It used to be we would schedule our time to make sure that we caught our favorite TV shows, when they aired. Those days are a thing of the past and this makes a Super Bowl spot a valuable piece of real estate. Not only do advertisers know that they are going to get the audience, but they also know that viewers often watch the game as much for the ads as they do for the football. The added benefit is no fast forwarding through commercials.

Digital Relationships
Advertisers have been able to extend the impact of their Super Bowl presence through a social media presence. For example, this year brands such as Coca-Cola, Dannon's Oikos, and Hyundai have released either teaser videos or full commercials prior to the game to help build buzz about the brand and the televised Super Bowl spot. Advertisers can also make their advertising an interactive experience such as last year's Oreo Dunk in the Dark tweet. The tweet, which successfully leveraged the Super Bowl power outage, supplemented Oreo's actual Super Bowl spot as it was retweeted 10,000 times within the first hour.